Another speed record set by world’s fastest business jet that’s built in Mississauga

The global aviation company behind a Mississauga-manufactured business jet says its new aircraft, the fastest of its kind in existence, is bringing the world “closer and closer than ever before.”

Bombardier’s Global 8000, which officially took to the skies last December and travels at just below the speed of sound, has set another speed record, company officials said on Monday.

The private jet recently completed a trip from Los Angeles to Farnborough, England, southwest of London, in eight hours and 46 minutes — about 11 minutes faster (or 2.2 per cent) than the previous record between the two locations, Montreal-based Bombardier said in a news release.

“In setting the record, the Global 8000 flight crew was able to overcome unfavourable tailwinds, reaching a top speed of Mach .93,” the company added. The aircraft’s top operating speed is Mach .95 (about 1,164 km/h).

“On this specific mission, the aircraft headed to Farnborough to showcase its incredible performance attributes to spectators and take part in the aerial display at the Farnborough International Airshow.”

The airshow got underway on Monday and continues through Friday.

“This new speed record illustrates the truly special attributes of this incredible aircraft, the industry leader in terms of speed, agility and performance,” said Stephen McCullough, Bombardier’s executive vice president engineering, product development and defence. “Speed is without a doubt the Global 8000’s calling card, and this latest accomplishment aptly underscores what sets this aircraft apart — the ability to bring the world closer and closer than ever before.”

In early June, the aircraft made a record-setting Montreal-to-Nice, France flight that was completed in just over six hours, company officials said earlier.

The aerospace firm, which assembles the Global 8000 private jet at its relatively new $670-million state-of-the-art Aircraft Assembly Centre at Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga, added at the time that the inaugural speed record demonstrated the plane’s ability “to connect destinations around the world quicker than any other business jet in the skies.”

A new speed record: our Global 8000 completed the flight from Los Angeles to Farnborough in just 8 hours and 46 minutes.

Read the full press release: https://t.co/jqOAFVW5FF pic.twitter.com/jthcZRvleO

— Bombardier (@Bombardier) July 20, 2026

Earlier this year, the new business jet made yet another jump onto the international stage with its tradeshow debut May 21-23 at the Catarina Aviation Show in São Paulo, Brazil.

At $78 million apiece and with room for 19 passengers, the Global 8000, Bombardier’s new flagship private plane, was on display for three days at the show, allowing visitors “the opportunity to tour the fastest business jet on the planet,” company brass said in an earlier news release, adding two of its other private aircraft — the Global 6500 and Challenger 3500 — also appeared at the South American tradeshow.

The Global 8000 received the long-awaited go-ahead for full production early last November. It was awarded Transport Canada Type certification at that time, which paved the way for its “entry into service” in early December.

From there, the jet, dubbed by company executives “Bombardier’s flagship for a new era,” received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on Dec. 19 followed by European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification on Jan. 23. 

Described early last year by its creators as the “ultimate time machine” and “fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde,” the Global 8000 provides a top operating speed of Mach .95 (about 1,164 km/h) and a range of 14,816 kilometres (9,206 miles/8,000 nautical miles).

Nonstop travel between “more city pairs than ever before”

That range allows Bombardier’s new business aircraft to offer “nonstop travel between more city pairs than ever before,” company officials said earlier, adding it also enables passengers “to fly faster and farther than ever before.”

The Global 8000 successfully completed its inaugural flight in early 2025 (see video below). At that time, it was being marketed with a top operating speed of Mach .94 (about 1,151 km/h) — but as development continued, the aircraft’s speed was slightly increased. Mach 1, the speed of sound, is measured at around 1,234 km/h.

Bombardier officials unveiled the new top speed for the Global 8000 last October in Las Vegas at the National Business Aviation Association convention and trade show.

In making that announcement, they noted Mach .95 is the “highest speed in civil aviation,” making the company’s new flagship aircraft “the fastest business jet in history.”

Bombardier also points out that while the top operating speed of the Global 8000 is slightly less than the speed of sound, the jet “went supersonic in testing” — exceeding the speed of sound — when it was still in development.

During a test flight in May 2021 observed by a NASA-operated Boeing F-18 fighter, the new Bombardier private jet broke the sound barrier when it recorded a speed of Mach 1.015, or 1,243 km/h.

(Cover photo: Bombardier)